Dysfunctional Space Parents
by Dannrose
Summary: Having got through Nero, Kahn and the events of Yorktown, the Enterprise crew are effectively one family. Now, three new, young Ensigns are assigned to the ship, effectively becoming 'the kids' as most of the crew start acting like surrogate parents...and Admiral Archer totally wasn't banking on that happening...
1. Arrival

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **I am back, after a very long time! Hello everyone and welcome to another collection of one-shots set in my 'Unofficial Rules/Dysfunctional Family' verse. It will, as always, have lots of Enterprise family stuff, based around three new characters. These characters have taken their physical appearance and names from other franchises, but we'll see where their development goes (and see if you guess which franchises they come from).**_

 _ **I hope you all enjoy this short, opening chapter.**_

 _ **I do not own any aspect of Star Trek, nor of any other franchises mentioned within.**_

* * *

 **The New Kids Arrive**

Jim Kirk glanced over the personnel files once more.

Since the events of Yorktown, the newly rebuilt _Enterprise_ had continued its five-year mission, its captain's desire for exploration rekindled. Unlike most ships, the _Enterprise_ didn't receive new crew that often, but Starfleet's latest set of prodigies had just graduated from the academy, and they wanted them on board their most famous vessel.

Jim wasn't sure how he felt about it.

Normally, he'd welcome new crew, especially those with the results these ones had, with open arms, but there was one thing that made him uneasy about the whole thing.

The three of them were sixteen.

Sixteen! Who put sixteen-year olds on a mission like this, regardless of their skills?

That was even younger than Chekov had been, and that was bad enough. While he understood that there had been a massive recruitment gap after what happened with Nero, this seemed a bit unsuitable.

He put the files down with a sigh.

Well, there wasn't much he could do about it, except to try and make sure these kids were looked after as well as they could be.

His ready room door swished open, allowing entry for a very irate McCoy.

"Jim, who the hell puts kids this age in space!?"

The captain didn't answer, knowing the question was rhetorical.

"Sixteen Jim! They're sixteen! What are they thinking!?"

"Well, Pavel was seventeen when he started, and he hadn't even been seventeen that long either."

The doctor was not pacified, and Jim did kind of agree with him, despite his argument.

"Well Pavel has had very different life experiences from these kids." McCoy retorted.

Jim sighed, "Not as different as you think." He nodded at the files, "It seems the three of them were street kids for a bit, then their technical skills were noted, and Starfleet effectively raised them."

Leonard's furious expression softened, "I see, that explains how they went through the system so quickly." He sat down with a sigh of his own, "So, what do we do?"

"Look after them Bones." Jim answered, "I mean, we managed with Pavel and he's turned out alright."

His friend smirked, "Already thinking of them as your kids?"

A glare was flung his way, "They won't be my kids." He smiled, "Besides, Scotty already called dibs."

"What!"

Jim shrugged, "Well, they are mostly Engineering based, he'll be their main commanding officer."

The doctor closed his eyes in mock despair, "Why Jim why? Scotty will corrupt them!"

"They're coming to the _Enterprise_ Bones, corruption is unavoidable."

"Good point."

* * *

Jim stood waiting in the transporter room, flanked by Spock and Scotty.

They were waiting on final checks before beaming their three new crew members over from the _USS Mayflower_. The rendezvous had been pre-planned, since the _Enterprise_ was often a long way from well frequented Federation space, and the _Mayflower_ had brought them all the way out from Earth.

The transport officer nodded, indicating that everything was ready, and Jim swiftly gave the order.

"Energise, Lieutenant Harvard."

Within moments, three sets of whirling lights appeared upon the transporter, rapidly forming their three new crew members. In mere seconds, Jim finally met them face to face.

Often, with talented cadets in particular, they arrived upon the ship with an attitude of arrogance, heralding a difficult period of grinding down their rough edges. Fortunately, his crew seemed to have a knack for converting this arrogance into genuine talent and creating exceptional officers. Sometimes, they arrived as complete and utter fans, who worshiped the very ground Jim and the others walked upon, leading to a period of teaching them that the crew were still just people and that particular individual did not have to keep comparing themselves to them.

These three however, were neither.

They were confident, but it was an attitude of confidence lined with an understanding that they still had more to learn, there was no teenage arrogance here.

Recognising them from their files, Jim glanced them over individually.

First was Kieran, average height and hair almost as red as his uniform. While not obviously gazing at them with awe, there was sparks of fanboyism in his eyes.

Second was Draug, and he was huge. Though fully in proportion, he dwarfed the other two, and was already looking taller than Jim himself, and possibly still growing. He was only half-human, as indicated by his green hair.

Lastly was Naotsugu, also showing signs of a decent height. Bearing what seemed to be an irrepressible grin and greyish/brown hair, he instantly looked like someone who'd be easy to get along with.

They stepped off the transporter and smartly saluted, speaking in unison, "Captain."

Jim nodded in approval, there was no sign of sucking up or arrogant challenge in their tone, only respect for their superior officer, they were doing well already.

"Ensigns." He gestured to his two officers, "This is Commander Spock, my First Officer, and Lieutenant Commander Scott, who'll be your main commanding officer, he'll let you know where you'll be bunking and where you'll have to be for your first shift."

Jim then dispersed the formal mood with a light smile, "Though you won't need to worry about that until tomorrow. In the meantime, why don't you try and work out your way around the ship once you've sorted yourselves out." He winked, "It'll probably only take you about a month to manage without asking for directions."

At that the three ensigns chuckled, "Aye Sir."

* * *

 _ **PS-Thus, we meet Draug, Kieran and Naotsugu, please let me know what you thought and if you have any suggestions for future chapters.**_


	2. Spider

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello and welcome to the first one-shot. I know I've just started this story, but this chapter was actually originally part of the first one. I just felt it was better to have a chapter to itself and it shows one shared trait of the three ensigns. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing.**_

* * *

 **Spider**

As the days progressed, Jim was pleased to find his initial appraisal of the Ensigns to be mostly correct.

The three of them worked well, and remained respectful with all, not just superior officers. Scotty seemed to be delighted with them and normally had nothing but praise, and there had been no disciplinary issues so far.

So, the captain took an opportunity to see them work first hand.

Having never been one to simply sit in the big chair and not move unless he had to, Jim often did the rounds of his ship, wanting to be involved with most of what happened. As such, he'd often been in Engineering, even when he didn't have to be, so the crew there were hardly surprised to see him.

As he walked, he kept an eye out, either for Scotty, or the new ensigns, and it was the latter he found first.

The three of them were in the hanger, working on one of the shuttles which had been slightly damaged due to space debris the day before, and Jim did not make his presence known, curious to see how they worked.

"Hey Draug, can I quickly climb on your back to reach that panel?"

Kieran had been the one to ask the question, and Draug's reply was very definite, "No."

"Why not?"

The largest of the three gave the redhead a look, "Because I'm not a ladder! There's a couple of real ladders over there, so get one of those."

Kieran gave a mock pout, and sauntered over to said ladders, and Draug just shook his head in fond exasperation. Naotsugu stuck his head out the shuttle door, "Hey, Draug."

The boy held out a hand, and the green-haired ensign tossed a tool to him without even looking, and Naotsugu caught it, then vanished inside once more. Kieran returned, ladder in hand, and set it up to reach the panel he was after. Once he pried it off, he lowered a hand, for Naotsugu to reach out from inside and hand him a tool, which he then started to use on what was beneath said panel.

The three continued to work, easy banter flowing between them, as they passed tools and equipment around, and assisted each other with almost no effort. Their work progressed steadily, and Jim found himself impressed, especially with their teamwork.

Then, Draug jumped back from where he'd been working, crying out in fear, "Naotsugu!"

Instantly, the other boy shot out the shuttle and to his friend's side, but the moment he saw what had spooked the other, he backed away and shot Draug a panicked look, "What do you want me to do!?"

"Get rid of it!" The larger boy answered, "Squash it or something!"

"I'm not touching it!" Naotsugu snapped back.

By this point, Jim was already with them, having started moving the moment Draug had cried out, and he glanced at the panel that the boy had been working on, trying to spot the cause of their fear.

He raised an eyebrow then glanced at the two boys,

"Ensigns, it's a spider."

At his declaration, Kieran, who'd also been rushing around to join them, let out a yelp and dived into the shuttle, apparently to hide. Draug and Naotsugu stepped back, staring at the arachnid in terror, and Jim looked at it once more.

It wasn't even that big, maybe about an inch across, leg tip to leg tip, and it seemed rather content sitting in the shuttle's wiring. It gazed up at Jim, who could see its two front eyes, and waggled its pedipalps (he thinks that's what Spock called the little foreleg things they have), unperturbed by his scrutiny.

He looked back at the Ensigns, to see Naotsugu slightly behind Draug, and Kieran peering nervously around the shuttle door. He was about to tell them they were making far too much fuss over one spider, when a bit of information in their files popped into his mind.

All three had arachnophobia.

The files didn't specify how they had it, but it seemed to be rather bad, so they were unlikely to be any help until the spider was removed from the vicinity.

Jim turned his focus back to the spider, and calmly coaxed it off the wiring and into his hand, where it sat quite happily. He was certain this spider was an escapee from one of the labs, a harmless species they were studying to see if they could find ways to improve the silk it produced and then use it in multiple fields. As such, it was quite used to being handled, and would probably stay put until he returned it to the lab.

Turning back to the ensigns, he found that Kieran had left the safety of the shuttle (and was now peeking out from behind Draug), and all three of them were staring at him in awe.

"Ensigns."

The three of them jumped and gave Jim their full attention.

"Next time something like this happens, contact the science labs. These spiders are a part of one of their projects, so they'll come and collect them."

Draug raised a hand, "Captain." He spoke nervously, "You mean there's more of them?"

Jim smiled, "Yes, but they're usually in their own little habitation box. I think someone might've been a little careless during routine checks and this one slipped out, but that's the only place you'll find spiders on the _Enterprise_."

No doubt they would now avoid the labs like the plague, but they seemed relieved that that was the only place spiders would be found.

Jim nodded at the shuttle, "As you were."

Immediately, they returned to work, giving Jim and the spider he was holding a wide berth. The captain turned his back with an amused smile, and set off to the turbolift, remarking idly to his eight-legged companion, "I guess I'll have to ask the Science department to make sure you guys don't end up anywhere near those three."

The spider in his hand gazed up at him and waggled its pedipalps in response.

* * *

 _ **PS-So there you have it, and the spider may appear again at some other point (animal characters have a habit of sticking around in my stories). Please let me know what you thought, as well as any suggestions for future chapters.**_


	3. Chickenpox and Lego

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello all and welcome to another chapter. Fluff and light-heartedness this time around as the three ensigns get chickenpox. Thank for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing.**_

* * *

 **Chickenpox and Lego**

"Are ye sure they'll be okay?"

McCoy glared, "Dammit Scotty, it just chickenpox, it'll blow over after a couple of days and they'll be fine."

The Chief Engineer backed away slightly, but nodded, "Aye, sorry doctor."

Leonard sighed, "Don't worry about it, you're just concerned, but its nothing to get panicked over, they're still young enough to shake it off naturally." He gestured towards his door and the wider sickbay beyond, "They just need to rest, but they'll have to stay away from the rest of the crew, especially Jim. I can give you a cooling cream to help out a little, but that's really about it, I'll ask Nurse Samuels to bring it down to them."

"Thanks doctor." With another nod, Scotty left the office and his eyes immediately fell on the three kids, perched in a row on the same bio-bed.

They looked miserable.

Chickenpox was not fun, it made you feel itchy and horrible, and while Draug and Naotsugu were suffering stoically, Kieran was scratching himself all over.

"Stop scratching yerself lad, yer only going to make it worse."

At his superior's command, Kieran stopped, but kept fidgeting, clearly feeling very uncomfortable, and Scotty gave him a pitying look.

"Come on lads, let's get ye back tae yer quarters."

* * *

"I'm dying!"

In his bunk, Draug rolled his eyes, "You're not dying Kieran, it's just chickenpox."

"I didn't mean I was dying because of that!" The red head protested, "I'm dying of boredom!"

Draug waved his hand towards the desk, "Then use the computer, there's hundreds of things to entertain you on that."

"But Naotsugu's using it, and he won't let me have a turn."

The boy in question turned from the screen, "I'm using the time to grind my character up."

Kieran pointed at him, "See, he's not sharing."

Once more, Draug rolled his eyes, but didn't comment further. Instead, he rolled onto his side and pointedly tried to sleep, while Naotsugu went back to his game and Kieran huffed.

Suddenly, the red head gave an exclamation and leapt out of his bunk. Draug rolled back over and watched in confusion as he dragged a box out from the cupboard and flung it open, revealing its contents.

"Wait, where did you get Lego?"

Kieran grinned, "Mr Scott, he had some and when I mentioned that we'd never really seen it before, he practically shoved into my hands and declared that we could have it."

The green-haired boy blinked, "Really?"

Kieran nodded, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "Yeah, I mean, I'd only really said it in passing, but he seemed to think it was like we'd been denied some great part of childhood." He shrugged, "To be honest, we've never really had the time to use it, but now there's time to spare."

Intrigued, Draug got out of bed and examined the (really quite big) box. He supposed it would give them something to do, since they were basically confined to quarters, and it was better than his plan of sleeping through their illness.

He looked into the box at the jumbled mess of thousands of differently shaped blocks and pieces, "So, where do we start?"

Kieran frowned, "I'm not sure."

By this point, Naotsugu had been distracted from his game, and he was also staring at the collection, "I guess we think of something to build, and then try and build it?"

The three of looked at each other…then at the box…then at each other…

Then, as one, they grabbed it and poured all its contents onto the floor.

* * *

Scotty knocked smartly on the door of the ensign's quarters.

He'd decided to drop by after his shift to check up on the boys and see how they were doing. At his knock, Naotsugu's voice rang out from the other side.

"It's open."

Upon entry, Scotty stopped dead at what he saw.

There was Lego, everywhere.

Most of the floor space was covered by the little bricks and pieces, and in the middle of the room was the three boys, kneeling around what seemed to be an intricate construction of a castle.

To be honest, he'd been expecting to find a room of three miserable kids because of their illness, but it seemed that the building project had successfully distracted them from the itching and spots.

Currently, they were fully absorbed in attaching a round roof to one of the towers, Draug lowering it down gently as Kieran and Naotsugu gave directions.

"Left a bit, right a bit…now straight down."

The section moved into place with a satisfying click, and the three of them sat back and proudly admired their work. They then remembered that they had a visitor, and there was a moment of 'rabbit in the headlights', as they realised they'd effectively been ignoring their commanding officer.

Scotty smiled and nodded at the castle, "Ye've got quite the project there."

The three of them shuffled in embarrassment, but the Scotsman was quick to alleviate it, "So, how much of it have ye got done?"

Kieran grinned, "Well, this is the main keep, so we've still got to get the outer buildings and defensive walls done, as well as the main courtyard."

Scotty carefully made his way over to the construction, "Right then, what can Ah help with?"

The three boys stared at him in bewilderment, unsure how to respond for a moment, until Naotsugu finally formulated an answer, "But sir, are you allowed to stay here when we're still sick?"

Scotty waved him off, "Don't worry lad, Ah've had chickenpox before, an' McCoy said its okay for me tae hang around ye lot."

They blinked at him a couple of times, then Kieran spoke up, "Okay, can you help me build the stables?"

* * *

Much later, McCoy was heading down to the ensign's quarters to do his own check-up.

Upon knocking, he was a bit surprised to have Scotty answering the door, and even more surprised to be shushed by him.

"They've just fallen asleep."

He gestured the doctor in, and Leonard saw that the three boys were indeed fast asleep in their bunks, as well as the impressive castle that graced the centre of the room.

He nodded to the engineer, "I was just going to check up on them, but I'm guessing it's as expected."

Scotty nodded, "Aye, they're still itchy and feel horrible, but its no different from how ye said it would go. Though I did have tae threaten Kieran with putting socks his hands if he kept scratching." He gestured out the room, "We best leave them tae rest."

Scotty's words confirming what he wanted to check, McCoy followed him out, leaving the ensigns to sleep, and the two friends walked together down the corridors of the _Enterprise_.

The engineer shook his head, "Ah was only still there because Ah offered tae clean up the Lego that was scattered around the room when they started yawning." He glanced at the doctor, "They'd emptied the whole box ontae the floor."

McCoy laughed, "Of course they did."

Scotty shrugged, "Though tae give them credit, they had organised the pieces out, which made building a lot easier."

Leonard eyed him knowingly, "And of course you would know since you joined in as soon as you could."

The Scotsman didn't deny it, instead he spoke thoughtfully, "Well, they're good kids."

"They're the _Enterprise_ 's kids." McCoy clarified, "And no one aboard this ship is going to think otherwise."

Scotty simply smiled.

* * *

 _ **PS-Naturally, Scotty cannot pass up a chance to play with Lego (well who could). Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.**_


	4. Don't Mess with the Kids

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello and welcome to another chapter of a fic that hasn't been updated in a very long time, so sorry about that. This one features bad guys being bad and Scotty being awesome. Thank you for your continued support despite this story's scatty updating, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing.**_

* * *

 **Don't Mess with the Kids**

Jim hated aggressive boarders with a passion.

People forcing their way onto his ship and attempting to harm his crew pushed all the wrong buttons for him, but that is exactly what had happened. They'd entered through the transporter room, somehow beaming through their shields, and had worked their way towards Engineering.

The _Enterprise_ crew had responded instantly to the breach, but the invaders were smart, outmanoeuvring them and bringing things to something of a stalemate, partly due to their partial takeover of the ships systems. Said takeover had locked Jim and most of the Command Crew inside the bridge, and while Spock and Chekov were working on it, it was taking more of their time to simply keep what control they had, instead of fixing the problem.

"Captain Kirk!"

Jim scowled at the main screen, that was now showing the face of their attacker's leader, with a section of Engineering in the background.

Communications was something the enemy had partly taken control of, and it seemed they were making use of this control.

From what they knew, the group was comprised of renegades from all over the Federation, fanatics who didn't like the way things were, that had been hiding out in deep space, and had decided that attacking the _Enterprise_ was a good idea.

The man glared back, "Captain Kirk, I suggest that you surrender your ship to us, your efforts to prevent us gaining control of the _Enterprise_ will ultimately prove fruitless."

Jim nearly snorted, cocky scumbag, he wouldn't be the first to say something along those lines, and likely wouldn't be the last either.

Outwardly, his expression didn't change, "That's not going to happen."

Their enemy did not seem surprised by this, "Very well, perhaps other methods will make you change your mind."

He stepped to one side, allowing them a clear view of what lay behind him, or more specifically, who.

Namely Kieran, Draug and Naotsugu, bound and sat in a row with a phaser pointed at each of their heads.

The man smirked smugly, "I assume I don't need to spell your choices out for you Captain."

At his words, the shock on the bridge at the sight became an atmosphere of icy rage. The _Enterprise_ crew hated anyone threatening their colleagues to begin with, but threatening the youngest members was certainly going to grow their wrath exponentially. Something the smirking man before them was going to regret.

"I'll give you some time to consider."

* * *

The boys sat in silence as they waited.

It had been almost chance that they'd been captured, when the alarms blared, Scotty had immediately commanded them to their designated posts, mainly ones in what was considered the safest possible place. Unfortunately, the intruders had beamed a second group into that very spot, managing to stun the surprised teens.

They'd come to and discovered their predicament, but could do little except wait and hope, fortunately, the phasers that had been pointed at them were currently in their holsters, their captors largely ignoring them for the moment.

Draug leaned a little closer to Naotsugu, "Will we be okay?"

Despite what people may assume, Draug was the youngest of the three, with Kieran next and Naotsugu as the oldest. Though the age difference was a matter of months, Naotsugu had often defaulted to being the leader before and during the Academy. In fact, as far as Draug was concerned, Naotsugu had always been the one looking after him, Kieran could remember something of his family, but Draug's was a complete unknown, and he'd almost had the mentality of a toddler when they'd found him, despite his actual age.

This meant that the boy defaulted to looking to Naotsugu when scared or unsure, and they were definitely scared.

Naotsugu gave an encouraging smile, "Sure we will, you know the stories about the _Enterprise_ we'll be fine."

Kieran gave a small grunt from Draug's other side, and the other two glanced at him, the redhead gave a quiet huff, "I can't get these bonds loose." He sighed, "Guess it's not the same as breaking open a lock."

In their time before Starfleet, they'd ended up picking up a few…creative skills, including lock-picking. In fact, they were rather skilled at dealing with locks, because no matter how many codes or programmes defended a lock, it still had a mechanical component to physically lock it, and that's what they manipulated. It was this that had actually led to their recruitment, mostly because Admiral Archer caught them breaking into his high security home to raid the pantry and was both sympathetic and impressed with their skill.

Sadly, their bonds were not locks.

"What are you brats talking about!?"

One of their captors strode over and waved his phaser threateningly, "Be quiet!"

As he walked away, Kieran childishly stuck his tongue out at his retreating back and Naotsugu gave him a warning look but said nothing. They sat in silence and waited, eyes and ears open for any sign of rescue.

* * *

"Captain, we've regained control of the _Enterprise_ 's systems."

At Spock's report, Jim practically leapt up from where he'd been discussing communication options with Uhura.

"How'd you do it Spock?"

The man gave an infinitesimal frown, "I am unsure Captain, control simply returned to us. It is possible that other members of the crew found a way to restore control from their own positions on the ship."

Before Jim could respond, a communication game through and Uhura quickly put it on the main screen.

"Mr Hendorff, what's the situation?"

The security chief grinned, "The invaders have been subdued, Captain, and we've managed to remove their control over the ship's systems."

"And the Ensigns?"

Hendorff's grin grew wider, "They're fine Captain. They have no serious injuries, Dr McCoy made absolutely sure of that. Mr Scott is with them now."

Jim gave a relived smile, "That's good to hear, and good work with subduing the enemy."

Hendorff rubbed the back of his neck, "Thank you Captain, but it was actually Lieutenant Commander Scott who did that."

The Captain frowned, "What do you mean."

"Well…" the security chief smiled ruefully, "When he found out they had the Ensigns, he sort of went Celtic warrior on them."

Jim briefly closed his eyes, threatening the three boys would definitely make Scotty go Celtic warrior. He could imagine his chief engineer charging their foes down, screaming Gaelic swear words and wielding something like a large wrench or length of metal pipe, the invaders wouldn't have known what hit them. They were just lucky that other members of the Command Crew (or the crew in general to be honest) weren't there to join in the brutal assault.

"I see." He paused, before asking carefully, "And the invaders are all still alive?"

"Yes Captain." Came the slightly smug response, "But they are more injured than any of our crew."

"Thank you Hendorff. I'll come down shortly to oversee transferring the prisoners to the brig."

* * *

Kieran, Draug and Naotsugu sat eating in the Mess Hall as Scotty hovered around them.

They were now both awed and a little scared of him, it wasn't everyday you saw your superior officer charge a mob of enemies, screaming war cries and belabouring them with a metre-long section of metal pipe. To be honest, it happened so fast it was over before they fully grasped it, their captors were unconscious on the floor and Mr Scott was fussing over them in what felt like seconds.

"Are ye sure ye lads are alright?"

Scotty still kept asking that question, despite Dr McCoy saying they were fine (though in a slightly more colourful manner), apparently the engineer didn't believe the CMO.

"Yes sir." Naotsugu replied.

Kieran nodded and Draug took it further, "Yes sir, it isn't the first time we've been in a situation like that…"

"What!"

Scotty gaped, "What do ye mean by that!"

Draug hesitated, possibly thinking he shouldn't have said that, but explained, "Well, before the Academy, we got into bother with a gang who wanted us working for them, they kidnapped me to try and force us."

Scotty stared in shock and Kieran tried to assure him, "But it was fine in the end, we managed to make a distraction with a homemade explosive, rescued Draug, and tricked the gang into running into the police and getting themselves arrested while we escaped."

By this point, Scotty's eyebrows were almost at his hairline and Naotsugu winced at the pride in Kieran's voice.

"Homemade _explosive_!?"

Kieran nodded eagerly, "Yeah, it took a reinforced door completely off its hinges…"

The chief engineer held up a hand to halt the boy's proud explanation, then fixed them with a serious gaze.

"Promise me, _no_ homemade explosives."

Despite having no intention to make any explosives anytime soon, all three boys swiftly answered.

"We promise sir."

* * *

 _ **PS-So don't mess with Scotty's kids and they are not allowed to make homemade explosives. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.**_


	5. Subspace Conversations

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello and welcome to a shocking 'it didn't take months' update. This chapter focuses solely on Naotsugu and Scotty and is more serious than the previous chapters. Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing.**_

* * *

 **Subspace Conversations**

Scotty strode through the corridors quietly, though there was little need to.

The _Enterprise_ ran on the same time as San Francisco, keeping it aligned with Starfleet Command, but a ship needed people active at all times, so there was no real 'night' when aboard. Regardless, Scotty always tried to be quieter during the 'night' hours, a habit from long before Starfleet. He walked towards an observation deck, to relax a little after a long shift, but halted upon entry as he saw another, singular occupant.

Naotsugu.

The boy sat alone, unusual in and of itself since he was almost always with the other two ensigns, and he stared out the window at the blur of subspace. It took only one glance for Scotty to know something was up, they had many people who gazed out at space when things troubled them, and the teen's posture screamed that something was bothering him.

"What brings you here lad?"

At Scotty's voice, Naotsugu turned in surprise, "Sir!?"

He made to stand but Scotty waved him down, "Yer off-duty lad, no need tae be formal."

The engineer sat down beside the boy, "Where's yer two partners-in-crime?

"Asleep." The boy stared out the window, "I couldn't get to sleep, so I came here for a bit."

Scotty was certain that was only a part-truth, that there was more to Naotsugu's lack of sleep, but he didn't press, instead gesturing at the window, "Well, ye picked a good spot, gazing out at space is a view ye can't say isn't spectacular, at least, not when we're in subspace."

"I actually prefer subspace."

Scotty glanced at the boy in surprise, "Really?"

Naotsugu grinned awkwardly, "I mean, the view of space is stunning, or looking down at a planet, but I prefer looking out at subspace."

"Why is that?"

The boy hesitated, and Scotty wondered if he'd inadvertently touched on something Naotsugu didn't like to talk about, but a reply soon came.

"In subspace, you're going somewhere, you don't necessarily know where, but you're going somewhere. You can see so many colours rushing past, its like seeing every possibility at once in a blur of colour, and they all seem…possible."

Scotty smiled, "That's quite poetic lad."

Naotsugu blushed, "My dad described it that way once, I'd always wanted to see it myself and well…" He smiled, "It didn't disappoint when I did."

The engineer nodded, not commenting on the boy's very rare mention of his father, and they sat in silence for a while, until Naotsugu finally spoke again.

"I should try and sleep sir."

Scotty nodded and stood, "Aye lad, on ye go."

The boy smiled and also stood, then nodded once before leaving the observation room to return to bed. Scotty didn't know what had brought the boy to the room in the first place, but their short chat seemed to have eased him in some way.

* * *

It was a week or two later that Scotty found Naotsugu once again watching subspace from the observation room.

This time, the boy didn't just look troubled, but visibly shaken, and Scotty approached in concern, "Laddie?"

Naotsugu jumped and spun round, relaxing when he saw who it was, "Mr Scott, I…"

"What's wrong laddie, ye look like ye've seen a ghost."

The boy looked down and bit his lip, "Its nothing, just some stupid nightmares."

The man smiled and sat beside him, gesturing Naotsugu to do likewise, "There's nothing stupid about nightmares laddie, we've all had them."

The boy sat, and gripped his knees, "I know, I help Kieran and Draug with theirs."

"But no one helps ye with yours?"

It wasn't a hard conclusion to come to, the three boys had been left to fend for themselves and Naotsugu had somewhat taken on a guardian like role as the oldest. He wasn't surprised that the boy had developed a habit of keeping his fears and troubles to himself.

Naotsugu nodded, "Haven't had anyone to go to."

"Well, ye do now lad."

The boy looked surprised at Scotty's conviction, "But, we have to seem…"

Scotty held up a hand, "Don't give me the 'we have to be professional' line. Everyone on the _Enterprise_ knows ye can do yer job, all three of ye, and ye do. That doesn't mean ye can't be kids as well, and none of us expect people tae bear their burdens in silence." He lightly gripped Naotsugu's shoulder, "Having nightmares from time tae time just makes ye like every other crewmember, believe me."

He smiled, "So don't suffer in silence lad, talk to me, or someone else if ye feel more comfortable with them."

Naotsugu, gnawed his bottom lip, shifting awkwardly in silence, and Scotty wondered if he'd maybe said too much, but the boy answered quietly.

"I don't want to talk, but can we just sit here for a bit."

Scotty smiled gently, "Aye lad."

They sat in peaceful silence and watched subspace blur past.

* * *

It was after the Federation renegades had attempted to gain control of the _Enterprise_ , and Scotty was still slightly shaken.

However, he was sure that while the ensigns being captured had scared him, it would've scared them more, so he headed for the observation room and was unsurprised to find Naotsugu sitting there.

This time, the boy noticed his arrival and spoke first, "Mr Scott…" He hesitated, "Kieran and Draug seemed to be okay and went to sleep, but I couldn't."

"I understand lad."

Scotty came and sat down beside the boy, not asking any questions and letting Naotsugu either speak or just stay in silence. For a long time, they just stayed there, once again watching subspace rush past. Until the boy finally spoke tentatively.

"You were really scared for us, weren't you sir?"

Scotty answered without hesitation, "Of course I was laddie."

There was another long pause, and then another, shorter question.

"Why?"

Scotty frowned, "Why wouldn't I be lad?"

Naotsugu looked up at him, "I'm not sure." He looked out the window again, "I guess, I'm so used to dealing with myself, I didn't think other people would be as worried." He glanced at Scotty briefly, "Doesn't really make sense to be honest, you've done nothing but care for us since we were assigned here."

"Did ye no have people looking after ye at the Academy?"

"Not really." Naotsugu fidgeted with his shirt hem, "I mean, we weren't ignored, but we weren't treated any differently than anyone else, we were kind of left to ourselves out with classes and training…well…Admiral Archer took an interest in how we were doing, but I think he didn't want to look like he was playing favourites, or interfering too much."

Scotty was getting a strong suspicion as to why Archer wanted them here, the nature of the _Enterprise_ 's mission meant that they were closer than many crews, more a family than anything else, something these kids needed. The three of them were ahead academically, but there were some things the Academy didn't teach.

He carefully placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Well, ye three have been looking for yerselves for years, yer not going tae shake that habit quickly."

Naotsugu nodded, "No, I guess not."

They lasped back into silence once more, until the boy quietly stood, "I should get back to the others."

"Ye think ye'll sleep alright lad?"

Naotsugu nodded, "Yeah."

He slowly began to leave, then stopped in the doorway and turned back, "If I have more nightmares, can I come to you?"

Scotty smiled, "Of course laddie."

Naotsugu nodded and smiled back, "Thank you."

* * *

It was only a couple of days before Scotty made good on his promise.

There was a soft knock on his door, and he opened it to reveal a troubled Naotsugu. He smiled reassuringly at the boy and stepped aside to let him into his living area.

Due to his position, Scotty's quarters were large enough to contain a lounge area and Naotsugu took one of the couches while Scotty sat in the one across from him. The boy went to speak, then stopped several times, and Scotty waited patiently for him to work out what to say. Eventually, Naotsugu quietly spoke.

"I lost them."

Knowing there was more, Scotty waited a moment or two for the boy to elaborate further.

"I dreamed about being captured by the renegades, and I lost Kieran and Draug."

Scotty quietly left his seat and knelt in front of him, "And yer not alright."

The boy nodded, "I mean, I woke up and saw that they were fine but…"

"It didn't feel enough." Scotty finished.

It was a feeling he knew well, in fact, many of the Command Crew had felt it, they'd had far too many close calls to not be affected by them, no matter how light-hearted they could be. He remembered many nights where he'd dreamed of the worst-case scenario, only to wake up and remember that it hadn't happened, but the dread at the thought did not leave easily.

Again, Naotsugu nodded, then, without warning, he threw himself at Scotty and hugged him. The man was startled at first, but he soon returned the gesture, gently rubbing the boy's back. Naotsugu wasn't sobbing or shaking, but he held tightly, looking for the simple reassurance of a hug as Scotty murmured softly.

"It was just a nightmare laddie, nothing more."

The boy didn't answer, but he tightened his grip a little, and Scotty smiled.

They held the hug for some time, Naotsugu probably not wanting to relinquish the parental affection he'd done without for so long, but they eventually separated, and Scotty smiled at his charge, "Do ye feel better?"

"A bit."

The Scotsman nodded, "Good." He then gestured to the door in a business-like manner, "Now, ye best get back to bed, it'll be a busy shift tomorrow and McCoy will do me in if ye don't get enough sleep."

Naotsugu grinned, "Doctor McCoy has a bit of a focus on people getting enough sleep."

"Well, he's spent a lot of time chasing sleep-reluctant crew away from work and to bed."

"Including you?"

Scotty raised an eyebrow, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he pointed at the door, "Bed laddie."

The boy cheekily saluted as he exited the door, "Yes dad!"

Naotsugu was gone before Scotty could respond, but the engineer couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face. It might've seemingly been said in jest, but he knew he picked up on the tiny shred of genuine feeling in the boy's last words.

He liked being called dad.

* * *

 _ **PS-There we go, the development of Scotty and Naotsugu's relationship. Please let me know what you thought.**_


	6. Archer and Porthos

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello and welcome to another chapter. This one features an appearance from Archer and his ever-faithful beagle, also, see if you can guess what the game the ensigns are playing in this chapter actually is. Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing**_

* * *

 **Archer and Porthos IV**

"Now remember Spock, we have a very important guest coming aboard. Everything has to be perfect."

The First Officer eyed Jim, "Captain, while I'm aware of Admiral Archer's arrival, I thought he specifically informed us some time ago that we did not have to make things 'perfect' if he ever came aboard. I believe his exact words were 'I prefer a ship to look like its in use, not dolled up and sparkling'."

Jim gave him a look of over-exaggerated shock, "Spock, we're not doing this for Archer, things have to be perfect for Porthos!"

The famous eyebrow started to rise.

"Admiral Archer's beagle?"

"Of course." The Captain nodded seriously, "Porthos IV comes from a line of distinguished Starfleet beagles, he is very particular about how things are done, and everything has to be just right."

Spock continued to stare steadily at Jim's perfectly straight face for a solid thirty seconds, before deciding that continuing the discussion wouldn't be worth the effort.

"Of course, Captain."

* * *

Jim, Bones and Spock waited patiently for Archer's arrival in the transporter room.

The reason the visit could even happen was because the _Enterprise_ had been called back to firm Federation space for several missions before she returned to her explorations. They were passing by another Starfleet vessel, allowing the transfer to happen and Archer would remain aboard for an inspection for a few days as they travelled to a starbase.

Soon, whirling lights became Archer and his faithful beagle, the famous Porthos IV.

Archer greeted Jim and the others warmly, but Porthos seemed to be gazing about the room appraisingly, sat regally upon the transporter pad as he oversaw them all, not moving until Archer called him.

Always eager to meet the crew and see the ship, Archer went with Jim and McCoy on a tour as Spock returned to the bridge, with the beagle walking at the admiral's side.

As they walked, McCoy couldn't help but smile at Porthos', the dog's brown eyes seemed to investigate everything, and he would periodically stop at corners and sniff, as if making sure everything smelt right. Crewmembers stepped respectfully aside as the beagle came through and he seemed to appraise each and every one, brow occasionally crinkling in disapproval and causing some crew to hastily straighten their slightly out of place uniform to appease the furry inspector.

Porthos IV ran a tight ship.

In time, they came to Engineering and were met by Scotty, whom Archer had long since forgiven for his error with testing his transwarp beaming theory, and the engineer enthusiastically began to tell the Admiral about the various improvements they'd made and discovered during their mission. As they spoke, Porthos inspected the immediate area, then proceeded to glare at Scotty.

The beagle clearly wasn't as forgiving as his owner.

The doctor temporarily took his eyes off the dog, distracted by Archer asking after a particular three ensigns.

"And how are Kieran, Draug and Naotsugu?"

Scotty grinned, "Aye, they're doing a great job sir, all three are quick thinkers, though Kieran is the most creative, and they don't need much supervision once they've been taught how tae do something once."

"And beyond their duties?"

"They've mostly started tae understand that they don't need tae be serious and professional all the time." The engineer smiled fondly, "Ah didn't actually catch them, but Ah'm pretty sure they were responsible for making the rec room lights flash like a disco at all times."

McCoy frowned, "Really, I thought that was Pavel."

Scotty shook his head, "Ah don't think so Doctor, it was achieved by messing with the actual mechanics of the lights, not reprogramming the computer. Pavel would alter the programming of the lights, its easier and less effort if ye've got the knowledge tae do it, but the lads aren't skilled in that area, so they'd have to play about with the mechanical components."

Leonard had to admit that the Scotsman had a point, reprogramming the computer was far more Pavel's style, and the three ensigns didn't have the computing know-how to do that.

Archer was chuckling, "Good to hear they're letting themselves act like kids from time to time, I was worried that joining Starfleet would make them grow up too quickly."

McCoy raised an eyebrow, "Grow up, on the _Enterprise_?"

The admiral burst out laughing as Jim threw a mock glower at his friend, "What do mean by that Bones!?"

"That growing up on this ship doesn't happen, why do you think me and Spock are here? We're the responsible adults." The doctor shot back.

Jim looked as if he was about to retort then suddenly stopped and looked about, "Where's Porthos?"

Immediately the others looked around frantically, but Archer settled them, "Don't panic, he knows his way around a starship, in fact." He looked to Scotty, "Where are the three boys?"

"Just down there, sir." Scotty gestured and Archer walked in the direction indicated.

"Then that's where Porthos will be, he has a soft spot for Draug and will have gone to him the moment he smelt him."

* * *

It wasn't long before they reached their destination, and Porthos clearly hadn't been too far ahead since they heard Draug's voice calling out before they saw him.

"Porty! C'mere boy!"

They rounded a corner to see Porthos bounding up to the boy, wagging his tail joyfully. The Ensign swept the beagle into his arms, "Who's a good boy! Who's a good boy!"

Tail going nineteen to the dozen, the beagle licked Draug's face, causing the ensign to laugh, and the other two ensigns scratched the dog behind his ears. None of them noticed Archer's approach for a moment or two, then they clicked to his presence and snapped to attention, Porthos still in Draug's arms.

"Admiral!"

The elderly man smiled, "Good to see that Porthos remembers his favourite three Starfleet members."

They smiled back, Draug still being licked by the beagle.

"Aye sir."

Scotty nodded fondly at the three of them, "Well lads, have ye finished with yer daily checks?"

Naotsugu nodded respectfully, "Yes sir, what do you want us to do next."

Scotty looked to Jim, a twinkle in his eye, "Well Captain, Ah believe ye had a very important job in mind fer these three?"

The captain rubbed his chin as if in thought, the same twinkle in his own eyes, "Yes." He looked at the three seriously, "I need you three to take care of our very important guest." He nodded towards the dog, "Porthos IV is a distinguished member of Starfleet who requires only the best. Can I rely on you to ensure that is what he receives?"

Grinning, both with humour and excitement, Kieran gave a full salute, "Yes Captain, we won't let you down!"

"Excellent Ensign!" Jim nodded at them, "Dismissed."

Putting Porthos down, Draug whistled him and the three boys and the dog nearly sprinted away, Scotty calling after them, "And try not tae run anyone down on yer way!"

* * *

Much later, Archer entered one of the largest rec rooms and smiled at the sight he saw.

Draug and Porthos curled up together on the floor, sleeping soundly while Kieran and Naotsugu played some sort of card game at a table nearby. The oldest gestured at the sleeping ensign, "He and Porthos nearly played themselves to sleep, playing catch and chase."

"Of course, they did." He shook his head, "Though I've never known Porthos to play with anyone the way he does with Draug. He might chase a stick or a ball with me, but that's about it."

He sat at the table with the other two, seeing the game they were playing and raised an eyebrow, "A black/white deck Naotsugu?"

The oldest boy grinned, "Yep, its also a life-gain deck."

The Admiral looked at Kieran's card, "And you're still sticking with the red/green?"

Kieran nodded, "Yeah." He then gestured at the sleeping Draug, "He's started using a blue/green."

Archer leaned back, "Good, nice to see one of you following in the master's footsteps."

Kieran grinned cheekily, "Want to join in the next game sir?"

The elderly man shook his head, "Not right now, I'm about to go to bed, I was going to pick up Porthos but…"

Naotsugu had checked the time, "Don't worry sir, Mr Scott is probably going to turn up and 'suggest' that we head to bed now anyway, if he doesn't then McCoy will."

As if summoned by the boy's words, Scotty appeared and paused briefly in the doorway to smile at Draug sleeping on the floor, then he looked to the other two, "Ye just about finished there lads?"

Kieran nodded, "Yes sir." He triumphantly pushed several cards forwards, turned some others and placed one down, "And with that boost and those numbers, I win!"

Naotsugu glanced between his hand and the cards he had on the table several times, then sighed, "Yep, you win."

Kieran punched the air as Naotsugu began gathering his cards up, and Scotty walked over to Draug. Porthos' head came up as he approached but didn't stop the man from gently shaking the boy, "C'mon lad."

Draug groaned and grumbled, then stretched and sat up yawning, "What?"

"Ye might prefer tae sleep in yer bed lad."

The boy blinked blearily at him, "But Porthos…"

"I'm here to pick him up." Archer interjected.

The ensign rubbed his eyes, "Oh…okay."

By this point, Naotsugu and Kieran had finished clearing up their game, and the older boy spoke, "C'mon Draug, let's head for bed."

Still half asleep, the boy's response was a yawn and a nod, and he shambled off towards their quarters, Kieran and Naotsugu leading the dozy Draug along. As they disappeared, Archer addressed Scotty, "You're taking good care of them."

Scotty smiled gratefully, "Thank ye sir."

* * *

 _ **PS-In which Porthos has some definite favourites. Please let me know what you thought and what game you think they were playing and I'll hopefully update soon.**_


	7. An Ensign, a Tribble and a Goose

_**Author's Note:**_

 _ **Hello everyone and welcome to a much longer chapter. This one focuses on Kieran and features two characters from my other Star Trek stories. The first is Bloodcarver, the tribble from 'Into Darkness' who debuted in my story 'Dysfunctional Family'. The second is the goose, who first appeared in 'Unofficial Rules of the Enterprise' and proceeded to make appearances in other stories. Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**_

 _ **I own nothing.**_

* * *

 **An Ensign, a Tribble and a Goose walk onto the Bridge…With Rubber Ducks**

"So…now what?"

Kieran's question went unanswered, unsurprising since he was the only person around, and he sighed.

"Yeah, I really don't know."

It was another routine mission, one that had been a trap for the _Enterprise_ by the same Federation renegades that had invaded before, though this time they'd refined their plan.

They'd carefully infiltrated and regained greater control over the ship's systems, locking crew members in different departments and cutting off internal communications between them.

Kieran had been working with Scotty when things had kicked off and the man had slapped something on his wrist and shoved him into the Jefferies Tubes before being rounded up with everyone else. Now though, the boy was at a bit of a loss as to what he could do.

As far as he was aware, he was the only crewmember not being held captive somewhere, or down on the planet they were orbiting with the away team that had been sent before it all started. He had no way of communicating with anyone else, at least not without being caught, and no method of dealing with everything by himself or getting back up.

He'd been crawling through the Jefferies Tubes as he'd been thinking, not fully focused ahead, and he suddenly bumped into something…something with feathers.

There was a hissing noise and the boy swiftly backed up a bit and stared at the blockage in shock.

It was a goose.

Now, he'd heard stories from those who'd been on the previous _Enterprise_ of the ferocious goose that had accidently been beamed aboard the ship and remained since they never found a way to get rid of it. There had been multiple encounters with the beast up until the ship's destruction, and everyone thought it had perished with her.

Apparently not.

Kieran gaped, stuttering out a fearful apology, "I'm…I'm sorry!"

The goose began slowly advancing, but a sudden growl interrupted it, and both parties looked down to see a tribble sitting between them.

Bloodcarver.

The famous tribble had survived the events of _Yorktown_ , having been left behind on the station during that mission, and had re-joined the crew on their new ship. Now the furball sat growling at the goose, which fluffed its feathers haughtily in response. Bloodcarver growled back, and the goose seemed to glare at it, before settling back with seemingly bad grace.

Bewildered by the exchange, Kieran stared at them both, "Okay…"

Bloodcarver purred, and the boy began speaking to him, figuring that he might come up with some sort of plan if he talked about it aloud, even to a tribble.

"So, people have taken over the ship, the away team is stuck on the planet, likely with no clue as to what is happening and I can't contact them on my communicator and the ship's consoles will all be watched."

The tribble gave a growling sound and the goose straightened its feathers.

"So…I need to boost my own communicator somehow?"

Bloodcarver purred, and Kieran snapped his fingers.

"That's it, I should be able to get to one of the stores and use the parts there to boost my communicator's signal!"

The tribble growled, as if in approval and the boy grinned excitedly, "Okay then, let's go!"

He quickly crawled back and away, towards an equipment store.

* * *

On planet, Jim Kirk was definitely worried.

They'd completely lost contact with the _Enterprise_ soon after beaming down, and it didn't seem to have anything to do with atmospherics or something interrupting the signal, the ship just wasn't answering.

He glanced back at his away team of Spock, McCoy, Hendorff and Kieran and Naotsugu, the First Officer was fiddling with his tricorder, trying to see if it was something else was blocking their signal, Bones was scanning the area, Hendorff was patrolling nearby, alert and phaser ready, and the two boys had pulled one of their communicators apart and rebuilt it to see if the problem lay there.

"Ensigns?"

Naotsugu shook his head, "Everything is fine mechanically with-it Captain, whatever is going on, its nothing to do with the actual communicators."

Jim nodded his understanding and looked to Spock, who didn't require a verbal prompt to relate his findings.

"I cannot identify any outside influence that would interrupt the signal Captain, our calls should be getting through. Unless something has occurred upon the ship itself."

That was Jim's worry, his gut told him that something had gone badly wrong upon the _Enterprise_ , and he hated not knowing what was going on.

Suddenly, his communicator crackled, heavy static making the voice distort and cut off several times.

" _Enterprise to Cap…irk, are yo…receiv…?_ "

Jim swiftly responded, " _Enterprise_ , this is Kirk, we can hear you but only barely."

" _Sor…Sir, we've ha…nical…issues, trying to cle…up now._ "

Slowly, the static cleared, rendering the voice far more understandable if still warped by static, " _Captain, the ship's systems are under attack from some sort of virus, we've managed to get a little control but not much, we may need to beam you back to prevent your team from being stranded._ "

Jim exchanged a meaningful look with Spock, something wasn't adding up here, he was certain of it. The First Officer received the silent message and nodded in response as Kirk replied to the ship, "Understood, bring us back."

" _Sorry sir, but we can only do about three of you at a time safely, it might be too much of a risk with the systems compromised like this to do more._ "

Jim's suspicions grew, even as he replied, "Understood, we'll be standing by."

As he cut the connection, he swiftly gave orders to the rest of the away team, "Everyone, listen up. Something doesn't add up here, if you are beamed back first then be ready with phasers the moment you return to the ship."

Those gathered barely had time to draw said phasers before light whirled about Spock, McCoy and Hendorff, and they soon disappeared. A few seconds later, Jim's communicator crackled to life as Bones' voice rang through, along with shouts and phaser blasts in the background.

" _Jim, the Enterprise has been compromised, do not let them beam you back up…!_ "

The doctor's words were cut short as the signal went dead.

"Bones!"

With no response, Jim wasted no time and barked an order to the Ensigns, "Communicators, now!"

Instantly, they threw their devices to him, and he quickly fiddled with them a bit and tossed them back, before doing the same with his own. It was something he and Spock had added to every communicator for events just like this, in short, it messed with their signals and caused the _Enterprise_ to be unable to get a firm lock upon their position, but would still allow communication. Without this lock, the transporter wouldn't be able to beam them up, provided they kept the communicator on their person. This done he gave instructions.

"That will prevent them beaming us up, do not lose your communicator, understand?"

The boys nodded mutely, and Jim quickly set off.

"Let's move."

* * *

It had taken some time, but Kieran had finally crawled his way to an equipment store, and he'd picked up two tag-alongs.

Bloodcarver the tribble, and (for some unknown reason) the goose were following behind him. Having the tribble was a bit of a comfort, but the goose unnerved him, since he wasn't sure what it was going to do.

Regardless, he reached his destination without issues and was soon carefully leaving the Jefferies Tubes and rummaging through the supplies available, talking quietly to his two companions as he did so.

"Right, I'll need one of these, a couple of those and something like this. What's this? Rubber ducks! Why is there a box rubber ducks here? Anyway…oh! That'll work nicely."

Finding a space to work and some workable tools, he settled down and begun prising his communicator apart and tweaking its interior.

While communicator-to-ship contact worked fine, that was mostly due to the ship's powerful comm array, communicator-to-communicator was more limited, it was fine on planet, but planet to orbit was too great a distance, unless you had constant direct line of sight or boosted your comm device.

By swapping out, adjusting and adding parts, Kieran soon had a communicator that was both more powerful and stealthy, the last thing he needed was the enemy noticing his signals, and he grinned, "That's it!"

As Bloodcarver purred in approval, the boy began the call.

" _Enterprise_ to Captain Kirk."

There was a long moment of silence, until a reply finally came through.

" _This is Kirk._ "

Kieran punched the air silently, "Captain! The _Enterprise_ has been taken over!"

" _Ensign, tell me what's happened._ "

The Captain's voice was calm, and the boy managed to explain quickly and quietly, "Shortly after the away team left, parts of the ship's systems began to be taken over. They locked most of the crew into their departments and rounded up the rest, I think many of them had infiltrated security beforehand, I haven't been able to contact anyone else. I used the Jefferies Tubes to escape and get to an equipment store to boost up my communicator and make it untraceable."

" _Are you sure its untraceable?_ "

"Yes Captain." Kieran replied with a touch of pride, "Lieutenant Uhura showed me how to do it sir."

He thought he heard a slight touch of laughter as Kirk replied, " _Of course she did._ "

"Captain." The boy couldn't keep the worry out of his voice, "What do we do?"

" _You do nothing boy._ "

A voice that was definitely not Kirk's came through the comm, causing Kieran to jump in surprise.

" _Who is this!_ "

At Kirk's demand, the mystery voice responded, " _The one currently in command of your ship Captain, and someone who is very concerned about the state of the Federation._ " He paused briefly, " _Now then, I commend your young Ensign on his work, this frequency would indeed have been untraceable if it wasn't for your Lieutenant's upgrades to her station, but it does mean I can speak with you Captain and request that you return to the ship to discuss my proposals._ "

" _I doubt that your proposals are anything good if you need to take over my ship to discuss them._ " Kirk fired back.

" _Now Captain._ " The man replied, " _Please consider your position, I have your crew, your ship and all you have is yourself and two boys on planet, and another child on the ship, though I am confused as to why I can't locate him on the ship's computer. Regardless, you have very little to your name at this moment._ "

There was a long period of silence until the voice sighed, " _Very well, I shall give you time to consider._ "

He apparently cut his end and Kirk gave one short order, " _Kieran, do not use this channel, its not safe, and do not…_ "

It cut abruptly and Kieran guessed the enemy had blocked communications, leaving him alone once more.

Bloodcarver growled.

Okay, not fully alone but all he had was a tribble, a goose, spare parts and a box of rubber ducks, what was he supposed to do with that? Also, they'd all be looking for him now, so even if they couldn't track him, they'd locate him eventually!

Wait.

He had a load of spare parts, he was an engineer, and he had some time to work with, what more did he need? He and the others had made some pretty helpful stuff from junk before, this was no different.

He turned to the goose.

"Keep watch for me, will you?"

The goose waddled to the door and settled down and Kieran returned to the contents of the equipment store.

"Right then."

* * *

On planet, Jim's mind was whirring as he considered his options.

They were at a huge disadvantage, their foe had the ship and everything in it, and there was little he could do from his current position. He may have stopped them from beaming him and the boys up but nothing would stop them simply shuttling down to take them by force, all he had on the ship was Kieran, but he'd specifically told the boy to not try anything himself (though he was worried the whole message hadn't made it through) because it was far too risky.

He glanced at the two boys behind him, watching them sift through some junk.

The reason they'd been on planet was because they'd picked up a, now likely fake, distress call from a wrecked ship. Said wreck was clearly ancient and long since forgotten upon inspection but the Ensigns were searching for anything they could salvage and cobble together.

Draug held some random bit of tech up, "What about this?"

Naotsugu inspected it, then shook his head, "Nah, I think its too far gone, even if we broke it down into parts."

Draug looked at it then grimaced, "Yeah, it's useless."

He returned to his search, digging through the ancient debris for anything else, while Naotsugu scanned the area with his tricorder. He then sighed and put it away, "Well, there's nothing obvious showing up on this thing."

He joined Draug digging through the heap and Jim kept alert for incoming shuttles while he continued analysing their situation and hating his lack of options.

* * *

"There we are!"

Kieran finished his creations and nodded in satisfaction. He was now armed…after a fashion, and he had a plan.

Take the bridge.

The bridge was the key, from there, you could control the entire ship and the mastermind of the operation would be there, taking that would allow him to regain control. Of course, taking on the bridge solo was a crazy thing to do alone but he had a few advantages.

Firstly, he was by himself, no one in their right mind would attempt such a thing alone, so it would be unexpected. Secondly, he was sure that they would be underestimating him, he was a child in their eyes, and they'd likely convinced themselves that he wasn't a threat. Thirdly, he now had a set of unconventional, but effective weapons, and a knowledge of all the routes into the bridge. Lastly, he had a goose.

For whatever reason, the goose seemed inclined to follow him about, so he may as well make use of it, and he approached it with one of his new creations.

"Okay, now. If you'd just let me put this on…"

The goose stared at him suspiciously but allowed him to clip the small collar-like device around its neck, Kieran smiled, "Great, now let's get to the bridge!"

With his two friends in tow, the boy returned to the Jefferies Tubes and begun the long crawl, taking great pains to be unheard since people were likely searching for him. Taking a more meandering route, just to be safe, he soon came to his goal of the Captain's Ready Room.

While the bridge was his aim, he felt that it was risky going to the bridge exits of the Jefferies Tubes, they might be keeping an eye on those, and he waited a short while before exiting, just to be sure. The room clear, he crept out and stole behind the desk, searching underneath the chair and soon prising open the secret hatch.

It led to a small tunnel that led to another hidden hatch directly in front of the command chair, it had apparently been put into the original _Enterprise_ at the Captain's request and Scotty had had it put back in during the rebuild. It technically didn't exist on the official schematics, but the chief engineer had told him about it once, making it a secret route.

Lowering himself into the tunnel, Kieran grinned at the goose, "Stay here, but when I get you in that room…wreck 'em!"

With Bloodcarver riding on his back, and the goose staying behind, the boy crept silently under the bridge floor, voices from above filtering down to him.

"Sir, do you want us to take a shuttle down to get Kirk?"

"No, not yet." It was the voice from before that answered, and Kieran guessed he was sitting in the command chair, "Let him stew a little longer, then I'll contact him again." There was silence for a moment, then the man spoke again, "What of that boy who initially escaped, has he been found yet?"

"No sir." Came the answer, "We still haven't been able to track him down with the computer, and the physical searches haven't turned anything up either."

"No matter." The man in charge said dismissively, "The child is likely hiding in fear somewhere, I doubt he'll be any trouble. Having him might've made Kirk far more co-operative but the rest of his crew will do just fine for that."

As the conversation above him continued, Kieran reached the end of the tunnel, directly beneath the man's feet. Bloodcarver growled and the boy petted him, "Don't worry, its time to get this show on the road."

Producing one of his homemade devices, Kieran pressed the button and waited.

It was a control device that interfaced directly with the beaming collar now worn by the goose. Said collar would beam the goose to a point in the vicinity around the controller, namely above it…and above the command chair.

"WHAT THE…!"

The man's shout was cut short as the goose materialised above his head and descended like an avenging angel with a bloodcurdling honk. As panic began, Kieran burst out of the hidden hatch and hurled something at the nearest group of people.

A rubber duck rigged up with some technology.

The duck bounced once with a squeak, then released a burst of energy, throwing those caught in it back and stunning them. Kieran was soon throwing more, and the ducks bounced all over the place, stunning those unlucky enough to be caught in their area of effect.

Meanwhile, the goose had beaten the boss into submission and threw itself at more foes who'd just rushed onto the bridge, pounding them with its strong wings and trampling them with webbed feet. Kieran got some more with his stun ducks but was forced to dive for cover as another man attempted to stun him with a phaser. Glancing around, he spotted Bloodcarver sat on the floor by his foot, growling viciously. Without a thought, he grabbed the tribble and lobbed it accurately at his assailant.

"GET HIM BLOODCARVER!"

With a terrifying shriek, the tribble soared through the air and landed directly in the man's face. The shock and impact caused the man to tumble back and fall screaming to the floor.

"GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!"

By now, the goose had finished off the group it was on and was leaping about the bridge taking on all remaining foes as yet more people poured onto the bridge. In the pandemonium, Kieran scurried to the central console and found the big red button hidden beneath a secret hatch and guarded by a high-tech security cage.

He began to work swiftly with his tools, normally you'd need the right codes to gain access, but he'd worked out mechanical ways to bypass high-tech locks a long time ago. As he worked, the fight continued around him, once he casually ducked as the goose leapt from the command chair over his head into another attacking group, and he barely batted an eyelid as two more men ran past screaming as Bloodcaver pursued them. His thrown stun ducks still had some charges in them and would periodically produce more bursts of energy, adding to the mayhem that reigned on the bridge.

Soon, he punched the air in triumph as the cage came open allowing him access. Instantly, he smashed the big red button, and everything stuttered to a halt.

The button was a last resort, emergency reset, installed by Commander Spock, Mr Scott, Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Chekov. In short, it switched off the _Enterprise'_ s systems, resetting the computer and removing any invasive code that may have compromised it. The ship would self-restart quickly, but the controls would be completely unlocked on the bridge, allowing anyone to use them without a code. This is why it was a desperate measure. Firstly, it would leave the ship completely vulnerable for a couple of minutes as it re-started, and secondly, it left their bridge console security in tatters, hence why the button was sealed, hidden and locked away.

The ship suddenly being plunged into darkness shocked many, and it was followed by a load of shouts, yells, thuds and a couple of screams then a deathly hush.

* * *

Spock and McCoy had been under heavy guard since their capture.

They'd managed to defend long enough to warn Jim of what was happening before being overwhelmed. Hendorff had been taken elsewhere while the two of them had been taken to one of the conference rooms.

When the lights went out, Spock had reacted quickly. Taking advantage of their guards' surprise, he soon rendered them unconscious and relieved them of their phasers. He strode out of the room, closely followed by Dr McCoy, and proceeded cautiously up the corridor.

"What the hell is going on Spock?"

The First Officer kept his eyes fixed ahead as he answered, "It appears that someone has activated the ship-wide emergency reset."

"Who would do that!?"

"I do not know Doctor, perhaps the Captain did it to remove our foe's control."

The lights came on and a light thrum indicated the ship restarting, and Spock quickened his pace towards the bridge. Up ahead, Uhura appeared accompanied by Sulu and members of security. She nodded to them.

"When the ship restarted, we took advantage of the confusion to escape, I think other members of the crew have done the same."

It made sense, their foes were keeping control by locking most of the crew away through sealing off rooms, the reset would've unlocked everything, letting the crew swamp the enemy with numbers.

The communicator Uhura was carrying crackled to life, " _Lieutenant Chekov here, is anyvon zere?_ "

Without a word, she handed it over to Spock so he could respond, "This is Commander Spock, we can hear you Mr Chekov, please report."

The reply came promptly, " _Ve vere being held in Engineering vhen the reset happened. Ve used eet to owerpower our captors, ve're sveeping Engineering now to search for any more of zem._ "

"Understood, continue to secure Engineering while we move to secure the bridge."

" _Aye sor._ "

They'd kept moving as he'd spoken, and now they were close to the bridge. At Spock's silent gestures, they split into groups to cover both doors and waited for the signal. At his nod, the security officers moved and entered, phasers ready to face whatever lay beyond.

They weren't quite expecting this.

Utter devastation lay before them, bodies were draped everywhere, most unconscious but a few groaning a little, in the middle of the room stood Kieran, arm drawn back ready to throw something while Bloodcarver the tribble growled from the navigation console, in front of them, stood menacingly and ready to throw himself at the new arrivals, was a goose.

Actually, not a goose, _the_ goose.

"What the hell…?"

McCoy's shocked voice echoed around the room, but Spock merely glanced at the ensign in interest.

"I assume you are the one who activated the emergency ship reset."

The commander's voice pulled Kieran from his frozen stance, and he swiftly came to attention, "Yes sir, I considered it to be the only option sir. Mr Scott had me hide in the Jefferies Tubes before he was captured, for some reason they couldn't track me."

Spock glanced down at the boy's wrist, "That will be because he supplied you with one of his signal blockers he has been working on for situations just like this."

Kieran looked down at the band on his wrist as if seeing it for he first time, "Oh, that's why he stuck it on me…"

Spock gave him a small nod, "You have done well Mr McLeod…"

"Hold on a minute!"

McCoy glared at Spock before gesturing to the scene around them, "How did you manage all…this!?"

Kieran flushed with embarrassment and shifted awkwardly.

"Well…"

* * *

Much later, after being contacted by Spock, beamed back aboard, given a report of what happened and dealing with their large number of prisoners, Jim sat in his quarters with Scotty and Bones, still trying to wrap his head around what had happened.

As they sat around the table, Scotty prodded one of Kieran's 'stun ducks' and the captain shook his head in disbelief.

"I still can't believe he did it."

Scotty looked up and grinned, pride evident in his voice, "That's one of my boys for ye! Saved the whole ship by himself."

Bones stared at the engineer, "He weaponized rubber ducks! Who weaponizes rubber ducks!?"

"Not to mention getting the goose on side." Jim added.

"How the hell did that thing survive and then get back on the ship?" McCoy asked, "I think even Spock was shocked by that one."

Scotty shrugged, "Ah've no idea, though its disappeared intae the depths of Engineering again. Ah've told everyone tae keep an eye out, but we'll see."

Jim sighed, "Well, Kieran more than earned his commendation today, I'm pretty sure he has a medal coming as well and Starfleet wants to look at those." He pointed at the duck, "Though I'm sure they'll adapt it to a less…eccentric design."

Scotty pouted a little, "But why, Ah think they should stay as they are."

McCoy rolled his eyes, "Scotty, they're rubber ducks, we are not going to standardise weaponized rubber ducks."

Jim grinned, "But think about it Bones, nothing says 'awesome' like defeating your enemies with rubber ducks."

Scotty looked thoughtful, "Well, Starfleet only need one or two of them. Ah'm sure we can keep the rest and make some more."

"No!" The doctor attempted to halt the train of thought, but Jim was already taken by the idea.

"That's a great idea Scotty! We'll send a couple to Starfleet and keep the rest here and work on fine tuning them, maybe we can even come up with different types of duck grenades…"

As they began discussing potential ideas, McCoy placed his head wearily in his hands.

"This isn't happening."

* * *

Elsewhere on the ship, a goose began settling down in the depths of Engineering, pleased to be reinstated in his home.

* * *

In his quarters, Kieran, the saviour of the day, slept peacefully in bed cuddling Bloodcarver the tribble while a rubber duck sat on the desk as a souvenir of that day's work.

* * *

 _ **PS: So, Kieran managed to ally with the goose, save the entire ship, and weaponize rubber ducks. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.**_


End file.
